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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. root — the cause
  3. bore — to tire
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. tube — the underground
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. current — of water
  11. tube — a container
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. root — of a plant
  14. stand — to bear
  15. current — happening now
  16. date — the fruit
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. root — of a word
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bore — to drill
  22. current — electric
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. mouse — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com